Oil and gas separator



Sept. 23, 1941. 1 F MCKELVEY OIL AND vGAS SEPARTOR Filed May 2; 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l L@ f @o Y A Sept. 23, 1941. J. F. MCKELVEY OIL AND GAS SEPARATOR Fi'led May 2, 1940 2 Sheets-.Sheet 2 .41- To ENEA/s.

Patented Sept. 23, 1941 OIL AND GAS SEPABATOR James F. McKelvey, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to Vulcan Steel Tank Corporation, Tulsa, Okla., a corporation o f Oklahoma Application May 2, 1940, Serial No. 332,991

y Claims. 01

This invention pertains to separators such as are used in separating the gas and oil found in the flow from an oil well, as well as oil and gases as used at refinery and other processing plants.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide improved means for separating from the gaseous constituent of the flow the mist of oil or fine particles of oil carried in suspension in the owing gas.

Another object is to provide such means which" may be mounted in a convenient manner in the separator vessel and which will permit an unobstructed ilow of gas therethrough. Another object is to provide such means wheref by a flow of gas at an increased velocity is induced and thereafter the flow is released so as to provide an expansion effect tending to promote the separation or condensation of oil vapor.

Another object is to provide such means whereby a whirling or cyclonic flow is induced and di. rected against baille means in order to promote the deposit of the oil particles upon the baille means.

Further objects will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figue 1 is a view partly in vertical section of a separator vessel embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detailed of Figure 1.

Figure 31s an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a similar section taken on line 4--4 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings, I designates a tank which is usually in the form of an upright cylinder. This may be constructed of sheet metal or steel plate, and is arranged so as to provide in the lower portion thereof anl oil reservo1r, indicated generally at 2, and in the upper portion thereof a'gas chamber 8. One or more inlet con nections 4 are provided in order to conduct the flow from the well or. other sourcesA to the separator.y Such flow usually contains oil, gas, water,

sand, and other impurities.' It is conducted to to a certain extent with the oil at the top and the sand or sludge at the bottom. The tank I may be provided with a drain connection 6, through which the sludge may be ushed out from time to time. An oil discharge connection I is also provided for drawing oi the collected oil. In order to keep the oil in the tank at a substantially constant level, a iloat 8 is usually provided having connections 9 brought to the outside of the tank to by welding or otherwise.

and connected in any suitable manner, not shown, to operate a valve in the connection 1 so as to discharge oil when the level in the tankrises above a given point.

In the upper portion of the tank I above the inlets 4 a horizontal partition or deck Ill is provided which may be welded to the Walls of the tank I so as to form a gas-tight joint. This provides above the partition IIJ a separator compartment II. Extending upwardly through a central opening in the partition I0 is a duct I2 providing an upward passage through said partition; This duct I2 is closed at the top, as indicated at I3. At spaced points around the lower portion of the duct I2 and above the partition I0 said duct is peri'rated by openings I4 to permit the exit of the gas flow from the duct I2. On the outside oi' the duct I2 and opposite each of the openings I4 a directing baille or nozzle I5 is provided so as to cause the outgoing ow' to take'up a whirling movement.

Mounted in the compartment II above the partition I0 flow control means are provided in the form of a conical flow guide I6. This may be mounted upon the partition I 0 and secured there- K 'I'his flow guide tapers upwardly so as to be narrowest at its upper end, which is open to provide a restricted annular passage I'I between it and the duct I2. Also mounted in the-compartment I I and so as to encompass the 110W guide I6 is a baffle I8. In the embodiment illustrated, this baille is cylindricali in form and closed at its top bya wall I9. The

the reservoir 2. These heavier portions stratify baiile I8 maybe mounted upon the partition I0, or, as shown inthe drawing, upon the flow guide I6, or in any other suitable manner. The upper part of the vertical wall of the baille I8, adjacent to the level of the annular opening I1, is perforated by a plurality of elongated openings 20 to permit the escape of the gas from within this baille to the outer portion of the compartment I1, The openings 20, as shown in the drawings, are in the form of vertical slots, and the material of the wall is bent inwardly at one side of each slot so as to provide an angularly positioned baffle orl vane 2|. These vanes are positioned so that the .ment 2.

` be removed as required.

vanes and other portions ofthe baffle I8, Means are 'providedfor draining the oil deposited upon theparts I2, I6and I8. This deposit collects upon the walls and runs down along those walls by gravity. Such liquid collected upon the interlor'of the flow guide; I8 will run down and collect upon the partition I and then pass through the openings ILand downwardly through the duct I2 so as to drip into the reservoir 2. Oil collecting upon the inside of the bafile I8vor the outside of the flow guide I6 will run down those parts and pass through perforations 22 and eventually down upon the partition I0. A pipe 23 may be provided to conduct the collected oil down into the oil compart- In the operation of this apparatus the flow enters the .tank I through the inlets 4' and is directed' tangentially by the nozzles 5` so as to vset up a rotation thereof within the tankv I.

` Upon entry into the tank the gaseous portions expand and the heavier portions, oil, sand, andy water, separate out, as suggested above, and collect in the bottom of the tank where they may The lighter part ofy the How, consisting of gas and suspended moisture and oilparticles or vapor, passes upwardly in the chamber 3 continuing its whirling movement and depositing a part of its suspended moisture and oilon the side walls of the tank I. The .gas then passes upwardly through the-duct I2 and out through the perforations I4, and the nozzles I5, increasing the velocity, again serve to maintain and increase the whirling or cyclonic movement of thegow. This now whirls within the now guide I6, again expanding and passing upwardly therein and depositingv a further portion of its suspended liquid upon the inner walls of said guide. As this ow passes upwardly within the cone its velocity again increases as it must passlthrough the restricted passage I1. Immediately beyond the passage Il, however, the area available for the ow is greatly increased. Accordingly, the gas issues from the passage I1 at a high velocity, but that velocity is immediately reduced and an expansion again takes place as the gas flows outwardly Ifrom the top of the guide I6. l. This flow, howy ever, continues to whirl within the baille I8 so as Ito tend to throw out its liquid constituent against the Wall of said baille. whirlingfflow impinges upon the vanes 2l as the gas exits through the openings 20. `'I'his operates to extract further portions of the suspendedV Further, the

against the baille means lI8 and 2|, which is interposed in the flow in such a wayas to lintercept the moisture particles which are deposited upon the balile means. Thel gases entering chamber I I are greatly expanded, releasing any nal moisture, the same4 collecting on the walls Il and I8, and draining by gravity to deck I0. The dry gas passes out of the upper part of the chamber Il and is drawn off for any desired purpose through a gas outlet connection 24.

' While this invention has been described as embodied in a unitary structure, it will be understood `that individual features lor sub-combina-v tions thereof may be useful by themselves without reference to other features or to the complete combination, and that the employment of such individual features or sub-combinations is convtemplated by this invention when within the.

scope of the appended claims. f

It will be understood further that various changes in the details of construction may be made ./within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of this invention, and that the invention is not limited toY the specific details shown and described.

The invention having thus been described, what 1. In a separator of the character described, a tank providing an oil reservoir in the lower portion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means for said' tank, a partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming lthereabove aseparator coinpar'tment, a duct providing anupward passage through said partition, one or more outlet's'from said duct arranged to promote a tangential outflow from the lower portion thereof above sald partition', an upwardly-tapering ilow guide having a restricted llpper outlet passage, said iiow guide .being positioned and arranged to receive the outflow from said outlets and direct the same upwardly through said outlet passage, and baille liquid and the gas issues from the openings 2|) into the outer portion of the compartment II in a comparatively dry state. The liquid collected upon the bailling walls I2, I6, and I8 flows down- Wardly and is returned to the oil reservoir 2 in the manner described above.

Itcan beseen that this invention provides a structure whereby a high percentage of the suspended liquid content of a gas flow of this type may be extracted and the gas delivered in a comparatively dry state. The extraction takes place in successive steps: rst, in the chamber 3, then in the duct I2, and then in the flow guide I6.

At this point a considerable portion of the liquid content has been extracted. Accordingly, the velocity of flow is increased until it issues at the restricted passage I1, where itis suddenly released so as -to induce a certain degree ,of expansionfwhlle, at the same time, the flow is directed means arranged circumferentially with respect to said outlet passage and in the path of -the y outow therefrom tointerceptfand extract liquid suspended in such outflow.

'2. In a separator of the character described, a tank providing' an oil reservoir in thev lower` portion thereof and a `gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means fork 4 said tank, a partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming thereabove aseparator compartment, a duct lproviding an upward pas-` sage through said partition, one or'fmoreloutlets from said duct arranged to promote a tangential outflow therefrom, an upwardly tapering flow guide havinga restricted upper outlet passage, said flow guide being positioned and arranged to receive the outflow from said outlets and direct the same upwardly through said outlet 'passage, an enclosure around said flow guide having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlet openings opposite said outlet passage, and bailles adjacent said openings to intercept and extract" liquid from the gas flow therethrough.

3. In a separator of the character described,

a tank providing an oil reservoir in the lower v1 portion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means for said tank, a partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming thereabove a separator compartment, a duct providing an upward passage through said partition, one or more outlets from said duct arranged tov promote a tangential outflow therefrom, an upwardly-tapering flow guide having a restricted upper outlet passage, said iiow guide being positioned and arranged to receive the outflow from said outlets and direct the same upwardly through said outlet passage, an enclosure around said flow guide having a plurality of circumferentially spaced outlets openings opposite said outlet passage, and bailles adjacent said openings to intercept and extract liquid from the gas ilow therethrough, said baffles being positioned to maintain a circumferential iiow in said compartment and through said openings.

.4. In a separator of the character described, actank providing an oil reservoir in the lower portion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means for said tank, a partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming` thereabove a separator compartment, a duct providing'an upward passage through said partition, said duct being closed at its top and having one or more outlets near its bottom above said partition to discharge the iiow into said compartment, a conical iiow guide in said compartment extendingv around said outlets to guide the ow upwardly and having a restricted outlet passage at its top, and a perforated bailie wall in said compartment extending around said flow guide oppositesaid'passage and means to direct Athe iiow from said passage against said wall.

5. In a separator of the character described, a tank providing an oil rservoir in the lower portion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means forv said tank, a horizontal partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming thereabove a separator compartment, a, cylindrical duct extending upwardly through said partition and closed atits top, one or more tangentially-directed outlets in the lower part of said duct above said partition, a conical flow guide extending around' said duct and said outlets and tapering upwardly from said partition to a restricted upper outlet passage, a cylindrical baille wall extending around said outlet passage to intercept and extract suspended liquid from the iiow, means to direct the flow from said passage against said wall, and means providing a drain opening between said baille wall and said ow guide to ydrain the extracted liquid. y l

6. In a separator of the character described, a tank providing an oil reservoir in the .lower 'por. tion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means for said tank, a horizontal partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming thereabove a separator compartment, a cylindrical duct extending upwardly through said partition and closed at its top, one or more tangentially-directed outlets in the lower part of said duct aboveV said partition, a conical iiow guide extending around said duct and said outlets and tapering upwardly from lsaid partition to a. restricted upper outlet passage,

a cylindrical baffle wall extending around said outlet passage to intercept and extract suspended liquid from the flow, and means to direct the flow from said passage against said wall, said baille wall having perforations and angularlypositioned dee'ctor vanes adapted to direct the ow through said perforations in tangential dlrections.

A 7. In a separator of the character described. a tank providing an oil reservoir in the lower portion thereof and a gas-accumulating space in the upper portion thereof, inlet means for said tank, Va partition or deck in the upper portion of said tank forming thereabove a separator compartment, a duct providing an upward passage through said partition, one or more outlets from said duct above -said partition, flow-controlling guiding means in said compartment positioned outwardly of said duct and above said outlets and arranged to receive directly the outflow from said outlets and guide the same upwardly in said compartment and providing a gradually narrowing passage -to increase the velocity of ow, said narrowing passage leading to a restricted outlet for ysaid controlling means, `and baiile means in said compartment and above said last outlet in the path of flow therefrom positioned to intercept and extract liquid suspended in such outiiowv whereby the liquid-laden 'gas is caused to flow continuously upwardly through said compart- -ment without downward ow.

J. F. M CKELVEY. 

